“One of the things that we have learned, having opened the heart of the atom, is that nothing happens in isolation, that everything in the universe is interrelated… And another thing [scientists have] discovered is that nothing can be studied objectively, because to look at something is to change it and to be changed by it.” —Madeline L’Engle ✨

Tug of war with the trestler?

Utthita Parśvakonāsana (“extended wide angle) in “Gentle” Yoga class with four strong men pulling the horse to make space in their lower spines. In Gentle Class at the Iyengar Yoga Center of Grand Rapids, students learn to access, face and address problems. Every week the class is unique. Often we use a lot of props, sometimes to support the poses for rest, but not always. The props don’t necessarily make each pose easier. Instead they can create awareness and drive the intelligence to the place where we are working. The students here are learning to pull the trestler to put the lower back in traction while releasing the groins and spreading the lower back region. This one pose was part of a sequence addressing lower back issues.

(These students gave their consent for this photo to be shared.)